Rogue Trader - The Invictus Aeterna

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Rogue Trader - The Invictus Aeterna

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THE INVICTUS AETERNA

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NAME: Invictus Aeterna

CLASS: Firestorm-Class Frigate

HULL: 34

ARMOUR: 19

SPEED: 8

MANOEUVRABILITY: +15

DETECTION: +15

TURRET RATING: 1

ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS: Jovian Class II Plasma Drives; Strelov I Warp Engine; Geller Fields; Single Void Shield Array; Combat Bridge; M-1.r Life Sustainer; Voidsmen Quarters; Mark-100 Auger Array

SUPPLEMENTAL COMPONENTS: Prow Weapon - Titan Forge Lance Weapon; Dorsal Weapon - Mars Pattern Macro Cannons; Cargo Hold & Lighter Bay; Librarium Vault; Temple Shrine to the God Emperor; Armour Plating

SPACE: 37/40

POWER: 40/45

CREW: Crack; 99/100
Last edited by Montresor on Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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THE BRIDGE
Combat Bridge

The bridge of the Invictus Aeterna still retains the purpose and functionality of its days of service to the Imperial Navy, although the helm has been slightly refitted to please the tastes of past Rogue Traders. The bridge sits at the central part of the frigate, at the highest point of elevation of the command section.

Laid out in a half circular pattern, the forward part of the bridge is hemmed by vaulted glass, standing almost three-storeys high. At the furthest point from the front, the lord-captain’s throne sits upon a raised iron platform, intricately laid out in a gothic style, flanked by two wide half-spiral staircases leading to the floor of the bridge. Two parallel pits for the deck-servitors are sunken into the floor of the bridge. The servitors work with tireless devotion, ensuring the systems function at all hours. Tech priests silently patrol these pits, ensuring the machine spirit is appeased.

Below the lord-captain’s deck rests the Navigator’s Well, accessed only through a passage which leads directly to the navigator’s quarters. From here, the ship’s resident navigators plot the Invictus’s journey and, when necessary, guide the vessel through the tumults of the Immaterium. Bearings are given directly to the helmsman who, at the forward part of the bridge, steers the frigate by an ornate wheel.

The remainder of the ship’s systems are controlled by the senior officers and their subordinates. A bank of communications controls are accessed via ladders, and are built into the starboard walls. Here the comms officers sit at their chairs and monitor the ship’s auger arrays. The port wall has a similar bank of systems, fronted by a narrow gantry, and used for the purposes of controlling the ship’s power systems. At a slightly lower level before the edge of vaulted-glass, is the gunner’s array. A dozen bridge staff here controls the Invictus’s weapons, and are directed in action by the Gunnery Officer. Above this level, lined up facing the forward glass, numerous control banks are manned by the crew, regulating various systems throughout the vessel.

The bridge is accessed via the door to the Navigator’s Well, as well as the main entrance, located below the lord-captain’s deck. At all times, a staff of roughly a fifty officers crew the bridge, while a dozen armsmen stand as security. In times of battle, bridge staff is likely to be doubled.

OFFICER’S QUARTERS

Built like a mini Hive atop the vessel’s superstructure, the senior staff and most of the junior officers aboard the Invictus have their residences separate from the ratings. Located closely to the bridge itself, the quarters of the Lord-Captain, the Seneschal, the Astropath, the senior staff, and the Navigator’s residence are the most luxurious lodgings on board the frigate.

The Lord-Captain’s residence itself is the equivalent of a planet-side mansion. Three-storeys high and built to accommodate the Rogue Trader in style, there is even a modest garden and pool. Servants drawn from the ratings also live in the lower-level of the residence; their sole purpose on the vessel to be tend to the Lord-Captain’s needs.

The Navigator’s and Astropath’s residences exist on separate levels, and other members of the crew are rarely seen troubling these halls. A half dozen rooms house the various psykers in style, with the chief Navigator and Astropath having the most comfortable lodgings – the equivalent of a three room structure each.

The senior officers have their own two-room lodgings each, designed so that they do not have to share facilities with anyone. Most have large studies constructed as annexes to their main room. Of all the upper-levels of the officer’s residences, these are the least likely to see any ratings on. Besides some armsmen for security, no lower-rankers are common here.

Finally, the rest of the ship’s officer corps share rooms in twos or threes. The lodgings seem cramped for those officers who hail from planetary bodies, and adequate for any void-born staff.

At the base of the senior residences is an entire floor dedicated to around fifty service staff. Rooms with ornate tables, lit by Hellar-Wax candles are used for the meals of the staff. A large room, backed with a stained-glass window depicting the construction of the Invictus, is designated for the meals of the senior bridge staff. Tradition has dictated that the Lord-Captain sits at the head of the table, and there remains space enough for another thirty people to dine with them. Meals are served in the early evenings, and depending on the personality of the Rogue Trader, it has often been a grave mistake to arrive late.
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PLASMA DRIVES
Jovian Class II

The largest single component on the Invictus, the Jovian Class II engines throb with ancient power. The engines supply the power necessary to run the vessel, as well as the propulsion required for movement through the Void. An immense amount of space and energy is required for the plasma drives, and the crew who work here live isolated lives from the rest.

Cancerous growths from constant exposure to the drives are relatively common, and those who have been born into life’s service of the drives appear almost hairless, with coarse skin and small, squinting eyes. The constant hum of the engines has accustomed the crew here to shout to one another; meanwhile silent engineseers supervise the ratings and attend quietly to the machine spirit.

Gantries and halls are tightly packed, and there are numerous small tunnels which require the crew to crawl through. The heat in certain areas of this section is intense, and could easily cause a crew member not used to the area to pass out. Tonnes of coolant pass through in immense overhead pipes, some leaking or raining through the decks like a shower. Roughly 2,000 crew service the plasma drives, and their lodgings are tightly packed nearby and throughout this section. No junior officers can be found here, instead, the section is run by around 50 engineseers, as well as the mysterious Venerant – a senior tech-priest, rumoured to be over 200 years old. None of the regular crew has seen the Venerant in fifty years.

The plasma drives remain something of a mystery to the rest of the Invictus. The crew aren’t often seen outside of this section while the vessel is in transit, and almost never while the engines are in operation. The engine crew, with the exception of the engineseers, are known to have a disposition to violence. They seem hostile to other crew members, and treat them with suspicion and rudeness. Those members of the engine crew who were not Void born to the Invictus appear to be the most sociable, though it is frequently observed that these men and women soon exhibit signs of extreme melancholy.
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WARP ENGINES
Strelov I Warp Engine

Located close above the plasma drives, the warp engines function is to take the Invictus from material space and into the Immaterium. A much smaller crew of less than 500 staff the warp engines, with a score of engineseers supervising the ratings here. Besides the tech-priests, assignment to staff the warp engines is never done on a permanent basis.

The Invictus is known to travel too easily through the Warp, almost as if she has an affinity with it. The crew of the Invictus are known to be given over to petty vices more often than most Warp-going vessels, and this deficiency is often attributed to the fact that the Immaterium has a hold upon the mind of those who crew her. Consequently, incidents of insanity, violence, depression, and anxiety are so high amongst the crew of the warp engines that few ratings are forced to remain in this post for longer than half a year at a time. Vague archival records from the Imperial Navy tend to indicate that ratings were once crewed here on a permanent basis, however, when reports of physical mutation became commonplace amongst the Void born, the practice of rotation was introduced.

The area is shunned by most of the crew, and ratings assigned here treat their service in the section as if it were a prison sentence; some crew have been known to desert on the possibility of re-assignment to the warp engines.
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GELLER FIELDS

Access to the Geller fields is strictly off limits to all but engineseers, the lord-captain, and the navigators. The ornately carved metal doors before the Geller room (depicting an Imperial Saint holding daemonic entities at bay with a banner), are heavily guarded by a score of armsmen. Two small guard rooms are beside the main door, in ante-chambers.

The Geller field’s purpose is to protect the vessel while it is navigating the Immaterium. The fields are constantly tested, and the score of engineseers who toil here tend to the machines with tireless care. Even the slightest disruption of the Geller fields while the vessel is in the Warp could be catastrophic. If the fields ever fail, it is likely that the entire crew would perish within moments. This is both a holy and a feared place.

VOID SHIELDS
Single Void Shield Array

Accessed via an external tower, the Void shields protect the vessel from damage while in material space. Batteries from enemy weapons are just one of the dangers to be found in the Void; even small particles could potentially damage the Invictus while she was in transit. The shields are of standard fitting for a frigate, and can usually take a blast or a battery before temporarily overloading. The shields would be useless against particularly large objects, such as asteroids. A few hundred ratings and their officers crew this section in shifts. Although the shields can be switched on or off via the bridge, they are controlled from this component.
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LIFE SUSTAINERS
M-1.r Life Sustainer

Since her acquisition from the Navy, the life support systems onboard the Invictus have in no way been improved. The actual systems themselves run throughout the entirety of the vessel, although rumours persist that there is a section in the prow that has no allowances for oxygen supply. Oxygen and water is constantly cycled through the labyrinthine structure of the life sustainer component, only adequately servicing the needs of the vessel. A large central chamber roars with deafening sound, as enormous vents and fans mysteriously feed life throughout the Invictus.

The smell of leaking coolant, oils, and raw sewerage is overpowering in here; the crew are forced to work in enclosed Void suits, or suffer from debilitating attacks of nausea. Small crawlspaces and access tunnels originate here that lead into man-sized corridors used only for the traffic of waste material. Teams of ratings constantly toil in these dark, coiling tunnels, trying to stay in groups to avoid being lost in the fetid stygia. Disease can commonly originate from these tunnels, and they reach into every quarter of the vessel. There is roughly one waste tunnel for every fifteen decks on the Invictus.

The quality of life support offered by the M-1.r series is barely adequate. In consequence, the smell of fuel and pockets of stale air is common on board, especially amongst the lower decks. Morale suffers as a result.
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CREW QUARTERS
Voidsmen Quarters

After the Invictus was acquired from the Navy, the Amphael Dynasty refitted the interior of the ship to better accommodate the ratings and officers of the vessel. Previously, crew quarters had been incredibly cramped, and numerous halls were lined with simple bunks where ratings slept alongside humming machinery. Rightly believing the morale of the Invictus to be significantly lower than many other deep-void craft, the Amphaels saw the improvement of rating’s quarters as a necessity.

The ratings are billeted, where possible, close to their usual stations, however, the majority of the crew actually inhabit a large central area of the vessel, encompassing about twenty to thirty decks. Centrally located communal sections are used for the serving of meals, and some decks even have their own crèches for the Void born. Gangs and clans are common in the hab-decks, and exploitation of the weak is rife.

Informal schools and care facilities exist in the hab-decks, as do some forms of communal entertainment. The ratings do their best to keep their business secret from the officers, although rumours have always been common that numerous junior rankers are able to make themselves a tidy profit from small-scale criminal enterprises here.

Justice down here is informal. Only very rarely will a rating report an infraction to a superior officer, preferring to rely on communal solutions than earn a reputation as an informant or Rogues-man (a frequent insult amongst ratings to crew who show too much deference to authority – the play of words indicating that the Rogues-man is literally the Rogue Trader’s man).

The plasma drives and macro-batteries have their accommodation separate from the hab-decks, as these sections have developed their own social groups which are quite distinct from the average rating.
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AUGER ARRAYS
Mark-100 Auger Array

Although obliterated in its final battle as an Imperial Navy vessel, the auger arrays of the Invictus were rebuilt on the Naval pattern. Situated at the highest point of the vessel’s structure (just above the chapel), the auger arrays are mostly crewed by junior officers. Some ratings service the decks here and perform menial work, while a few tech priests help to configure the ancient technology. Communications and scanning are controlled from the bridge, though all service and maintenance work is done here.
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PROW WEAPON
Titan Forge Lance Weapon

The Titan Forge lance weapon is as ancient as the vessel itself. Requiring immense amounts of power and precise timing, the lance is a fearsome weapon capable of cutting through the superstructure of an enemy vessel in a single shot. Against shields it is largely useless, but employed in concert with conventional batteries, and the lance can easily swing a battle.

The lance takes a great deal of the prow space of the Invictus, and effectively denies the frigate the ability to use its front to ram an enemy vessel. At the base of the lance weapon, a great power generator towers seven storeys high, shut off from the rest of the ship by reinforced bulkheads. The interior walls are scorched with the signs of frequent over-heating. Every time the lance is fired, the crew must evacuate the generator section or risk being immolated in a surge of energy from the tower. The entire structure of the Invictus shakes violently with every blast, and the reverberation can be heard throughout.

Awe-inspiring and deadly, the lance is what makes the Firestorm-class of frigate stand out from its sister escort vessels.
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DORSAL BATTERIES
Mars-Pattern Macro Cannons

Fixed on a forward axis, the port and starboard guns are mounted upon the frigate’s dorsal ridge. Rapid firing guns hurl kilo-tonne ammunition capable of bursting through high-density plas-steel and inflicting death and destruction in horrific quantities. The operation of the Macro cannons creates deafening volleys which, despite reinforced walls and bulkheads in the gunnery section, reverberate throughout the Invictus.

The Macro cannons are crewed by three to four thousand ratings, with a sizeable complement of gunnery officers. The weapons themselves are reloaded with the use of enormous metallic treadmills, which have to be turned by hundreds of crew men. Death from falling into the wheels is not an uncommon occurrence during a pitched battle.

Individual rounds for guns are roughly the size of a tank, and must be stored at a distance from the guns to prevent accidental ignition. As such, long tunnels upon which small service trains rapidly rush back and forth exist to keep reloading rates at an optimum level. During battle, these service tunnels are dangerous places to be, as one must avoid loading machinery and locomotive devices tearing through the darkness. Crew crushed to death here are rarely retrieved after battle, instead their remains are hosed from the walls and machinery, washing into troughs designed to vent waste and chemical spills into the disposal systems.

The crew of the Macro cannons are easy to spot. Owing to the deafening power of the guns, they are almost universally deaf. Officers tend to have had their ears bionically replaced, while the ratings have developed their own sign language. Crew from the guns tend to be keenly observant people, used to watch for signal lights to tell them when to man their stations, when corridors are clear, and when to reload the guns.

Owing to their deafness, the ratings here are often incapable of communicating with other crew members. As a result, they tend to appear reclusive and shy. The Void born amongst the crew are usually born deaf. Finally, ignition powder – even after extensive post-battle cleaning – coats much of the gunnery section. Gunnery crew, in consequence, can appear grimy and unkempt. Their clothes are often frayed, and many are not dissimilar in appearance to Hive World beggars.

Although their deafness has made them notoriously pacific in nature (not being able to hear someone raise their voice creates an easy-going demeanour), there is considerable competition amongst the port and starboard batteries. This competition arises from having to share the same munitions supply, as well as contest over the highest performance in battle. Nonetheless, life is not pleasant in the gun crews. The highest rate of death during battle, the cheapness of life, and the inability to communicate with outsiders can create a sense of defeatism in these ratings.
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CARGO
Cargo Hold and Lighter Bay

In an effort to make the Invictus more commercially viable for the Amphaels, an immense cargo hold was fitted into her structure after acquisition from the Navy. Size and power restrictions at the time meant that the cargo hold had to be constructed on the Starboard side of the vessel. As a result of its refitting, the Invictus has lost a good deal of its manoeuvrability. Although she is still vastly more manoeuvrable than a merchantman, most raiders would be able to out-manoeuvre her. However, this dimunution in her skill as an escort vessel has enabled the Invictus to be used to enrich the Amphael Dynasty. Without the cargo hold, most endeavours would be unattainable.

The cargo hold itself is an immense, multi-storey structure, some two hundred metres or more long on the lower level. Upper-levels are accessed via cargo lifts, and numerous loading vehicles are parked on the base level to service the remainder. Empty of cargo and deprived of life support and power, the hold would resemble a cavernous tomb. However, the upper-levels of the hold also house the Invictus’s small contingent of shuttles – converted naval supply craft. Their primary function is for the ferrying of goods and crew to the surface of a planet.

Assignment to the staff of the cargo hold is considered to be an extremely cushy posting. Roughly a thousand ratings work here, and their day-to-day workload is only ever intense when they are on or off loading goods. The Eternals are known to have a near monopoly on positions here, with at least two hundred of their clan making up cargo staff.

Certain sections of the cargo hold are avoided, unless workers travel in pairs. There have been fanciful accounts of the sounds of movement in mid-air, as if crew were walking by in halls which are no longer there.
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LIBRARIUM VAULT

The Librarium Vault houses the Invictus’s vast store of scrolls, literature, historical records, data-slates, and charts. Modest by the standards of a planetary librarium, the Invictus’s Vault nonetheless stores tomes in the tens of thousands. Enormous expense was suffered for the acquisition of these volumes, and in the construction of the vault itself.

The librarium is a three-storey structure, with a wide lower level, overlooked by the balconies of the upper two storeys. Numerous side-corridors, rooms, and private booths can be found throughout. The layout of the upper levels is haphazard, and it is possible to become lost within. The librarium’s data base lists only about half of its volumes, and it is understood that a great many treasures may be secreted away within its shelves and desks. Indeed, there may even be tomes in here which could get the Amphael Dynasty in trouble, should an Inquisitor ever choose to visit.

The staff of the Librarium is quite small, including a score of scribes. Access to the librarium is designated at the Chief-Seneschal’s leisure; the only entry to the section is by an iron-runged spiral staircase which descends from the ceiling. Tech priests are often found in here perusing the tomes, as are a number of officers. Ratings are usually excluded from access.
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TEMPLE SHRINE TO THE GOD EMPEROR

Situated just below the Auger Array is the Invictus’s chapel. A reflection of the Dynasty’s strong heritage as an agent of the Light of the Golden Throne, the chapel is constructed from the finest materials. Murals of the Imperial Saints, the Horus Heresy, and the Conquest of the Calyx Expanse adorn the walls. A statue of Saint Drusus is located close to an enormous stained-glass mural depicting the God Emperor watching over space from the Golden Throne.

The temple shrine is directly run by the Ecclesiarchy, who employ a staff of a dozen or so here. Their private chambers are located at the rear of the chapel. Services are given daily, and can accommodate up to three hundred seated. Many more often stand in the wings.

Beside the head missionary’s pulpit, a reinforced glass case displays the holy bolter of Calligos Amphael – Faith’s Reach. Only the head missionary knows the code to release the weapon, and they hold instructions handed down from Calligos himself that the bolter is not to be used except in cases of daemonic intrusion.

The temple shrine is considered the most secure place on board the frigate, guarded by two great iron doors which can only be accessed via a steep, wide stone staircase. In the direst circumstances, this is where a last stand would be made.

The presence of the temple shrine bolsters the faith and morale of the crew. Conversely, perceived insults to the God Emperor have been known to incense the crew. Though secluded from the command staff, the Ecclesiarchy who staff the temple are amongst the most influential people on board the vessel.
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THE LOWER DECKS

The phrase ‘the lower decks’ is used on board the Invictus to refer almost exclusively to the front portion of the vessel and the prow section, where few of the crew willingly travel. Despite the gun crew for the lance battery, tech-priests, and the lowers, almost none of the crew venture there of their own volition. Of all the sections on board the vessel, the lower decks are considered to be the most haunted. Strange shadows glide in islands of light; sounds echo where no one dwells and, rarely, small offerings of food and rags can be found placed beside rusted grates and manholes. For most of the ship’s ratings, and many of the officers, the lower decks are thought to be accursed.

THE INFIRMARY, Forward Prow, level 65

The numbering of the lower and forward decks follows no logical order. Many have been renamed as a result of superstition, or simply through developmental necessity. Level 65 is located somewhere at the forward prow of the frigate, and the name refers to part of three levels sealed from the rest of the crew. Owing to past practice on the Invictus, Level 65 is a zone designated for the terminally ill. Those crew deemed beyond salvation, who are no longer able to be healed by Medicae or Chirurgical implements are allowed the option of venturing into Level 65, to recover away from the crew and, hopefully, to heal. Level 65 is always sealed, and the access code to the main entrance is known to only a handful of tech-priests and officers. For the last few decades, no one who has ventured into Level 65 has returned.

THE MAZEWORK

So called because of the confusing layout of the rooms, corridors, and scaffolding here, this forward section of the prow is avoided by all. Life support to this section is minimal, and the decks here are awash with radiation from the lance generator, as well as leaking chemicals. Much of this section is a patchwork of gantries, halls, stairwells, and darkened rooms which have never been fully constructed. Navigating the holds here is hazardous and time-consuming. Rumours persist that some crew may have exiled themselves here, though how they have survived is almost impossible to fathom.

MYTHS OF THE LOWER DECKS

Besides tales associated with the Mazework and Infirmary, there are a number of persistent rumours about the lower decks of the Invictus. The following are rumours which refer to physical locations on the ship:

Tallyrn’s Hall – Long halls the height of a couple of storeys are relatively common on the Invictus. Many have vaulted windows which stare out into the darkness of the Void. During Warp travel, these windows are often avoided as, although the Geller Fields protect, the fear of seeing something tangible in the Immaterium is too great. Tallyrn’s Hall is just one part of a long service corridor in the lower decks. The corridor is heavily adorned with the symbols of the Machine Cult, and numerous friezes carved on Tidranicus Prime are laid into the walls. None of the lights or life support systems have worked here in untold generations, and the crew insist that any machine brought into Tallyrn’s Hall will seize and fail. It is not known who Tallyrn was.

The Outpost – During a minor insurrection in M.40, a heavily-stocked guardroom and armoury was established to act as a forward base against mutineers. The measure was unnecessary, though the room was kept supplied and stationed for some decades after. A reorganisation of the Armsmen, under a previous Rogue Trader, saw The Outpost abandoned almost by accident. In the centuries since, rumours have grown that a veritable treasure trove of arms and armour exists somewhere in the lower decks. Although it seems unlikely that such a cache could still be untouched, no evidence has ever been found indicating The Outpost has been discovered.

Navigator's Eye - Some of the ports on the Invictus no longer respond to automatic controls. Consequently, they can only be closed manually. Rumours persist of an infrequently attended arched window which stares into the Void. So the legends claim, the window enables the viewer to see that which a Navigator can see, perceiving future possibilities in the Warp. Noone claims to know exactly which port is the Navigator's Eye, though tales surrounding it seem wrought with childish superstitions. To gaze into the Warp unprotected would send any man or woman insane, and to conciously seek to do such a thing is insanity itself. Perhaps only the insane can find the Navigator's Eye?
Last edited by Montresor on Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
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THE MORTUARY

The Invictus Aeterna's past has long been wedded to death. Service in the Imperial Navy was long and brutal, and even simple encounters with pirate raiders could lead to serious loss of life. Frigates tend to engage heavier classes of ships as diversions or screens for their own ships of the line, and the Invictus behaved no differently than any other frigate of its class. Consequently, the catalogue of dead on the ancient vessel includes a very high proportion of men and women who died in the course of battle.

The ship's Morgue has never once been empty since the Invictus gathered its crew, and rumours circulate that the frigate was stalked by death long before its completion. The Morgue is located in the forward section of the Invictus, as far from hab-dwellings and traffic as is possible. Few care to visit the Morgue, for fear that they may simply remain.

The Morgue itself is roughly cathedral shape and size, with numerous ornate columns supporting the weight of the prodigious ceiling. The walls are lined with row upon row of metal hatches which lead to spaces for the dead. Up to three thousand corpses could be stored here at any one time. A 'subterrenean' level is beneath the main hall, where spaces are reserved for the higher ranking dead.

The operation of equipment in the Morgue is fairly simple, so the technology has been entrusted to the vessel's regular crew. Service in the staff here is considered one of the most important tasks conceivable. The protection of the dead for proper burial in the Void is interwoven with the protection of the soul before the rendering of figurative remains to the Emperor. The staff number only about fifty, some of whom assist tech-priests with the Medicae facilities nearby.

There is a small altar and podium from which the Ecclesiarchy can perform services. Behind the podium a chamber can be loaded with up to fifty corpses at a time, to facilitate burial in the Void.
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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